Take-up device for clotheslines



Oct. 8, 1929 A. H. HEMPEL TAKE-UP DEVICE FOR GLOTHESLINES Filed June 14,1927 Patented Oct. 8, 1929 ALBERT H. HEMPEL, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO TAKE-UPDEVICE FOR 'e oTHEsmNEs Application filed June 14,

Vhen clothes-lines are not in use, it has been customary to take themdown, especially in cities or places where the lines have to bestretched between buildings and the space is constricted. Naturally theline when taken down must be wound, coiled or folded, or put in someorderly arrangement. Usually one end of the clothes-line is fastened atthe side 'of a window or door. The present invention has to do with thedevice for taking up the line when not in use in amanner avoiding anyentanglement of the line.

A particular advantage of this invention is that it provides a devicewhich will take up the line when not in use and also securely anchor oneend of the line when it is in use. This arrangement saves quite a fewsteps every time a line is taken in or put out, as it is only necessaryto fasten or unfasten one end of the line.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a casing for the take-up device,this casing being adjustable in length so that it will allow forvariations in the length of the line. This casing also incorporatesanother feature of my invention which is the fastening of a part of thetake-up device to the casing thereby anchoring one end of the line whilein use and also eliminating any possibility of the device becomingdisassembled and the parts mislaid. It is to be understood that thisdevice may be used with clothes-lines at anyplace and the use is notrestricted in location, the device being applicable to window-frames,doors, posts or any other available supports.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective View of a fragment of a door,having an embodiment of the pres ent invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal, vertical section taken through theembodiment seen in Figure 1, the parts being shown on an enlarged scaleand parts being broken away.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 on a still larger scale, theplane of the section being at right angles to that of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a transverse, horizontal section taken on the planeindicated by line 4:it of Figure 1 and looking downward.

-While the preferred form of my invention of the line.

1927. Sean No. 198,712.

is herein set forth, I do not wish to be limited to the exactconstruction set forth because various modifications of these detailsmay be provided in putting my invention in practise within the scope ofthe claims. I

My take-up device depends on the well known mechanics of pulleys for thetaking in It is an established principle that when two sets of pulleysare drawn together by the line passing between them, the single linewill'move a distance in length equal to the distance that the pulleysmove relative to each other, times the number of laps of the linepassing between the pulleys. For instance, if there are six laps betweenthe pulleys, the single line will move a distance six times the distancethe pulleys move relative to each other.

The casing for my take-up device for clothes-lines is designated by thereference character 1 as shown in Figure 1. This casing is adjustable inlength, being made the length desired by the addition or subtraction ofone or more of the sections 2 attached by telescoping joints 3.

Within the casing 1 is a clothes-line 4: and the device for taking upthe line when not in use. Atone end of the main body of the casing isthe top 5 having the opening 6 therein. The line t passes through thisopening. One end of the line has the knob or knot 7 thereon to preventthe line from passing completely into the casing.

The take-up includes two pulley carriers or blocks 8 and 9. 8 is fixedto the main body of the casing at one end thereof by the bolt 10, whilethe other carrier or block 9, which may be made of some heavy materialas metal or may be weighted as desirable, is movable longitudinally inthe casing. This block must be heavy enough to draw the line into thecasing when the line is taken down and permitted to enter therein.

The device as illustrated is provided with three pulleys 11, in the sameplane, mounted on the movable carrier or block 9, while the fixed pulleycarrier 8 has two of the pulleys 11 also mounted in the same planethereon. One end of the line 4 is anchored to carrier 8, and is thenpassed around a pulley on the block 9, and back to the block 8, and soforth, until the free end is passed through the opening 6 in the top ofthe casing. When the easing is placed in a vertical position, themovable block 9 will be suspended, and the pulleys on both blocks willlie in the same planes, as will the line passing between them. Thismakes for a very compact arrangement of the device as the pulleys andline will take up only a very small amount of space in this arrangement.

The cover 5 and block 8 may be formed integral as shown, or otherwise asdesired, the cover being sufiiciently larger than the block to providemarginal flanges l2 overhanging the casing 1, while block 8 issufiiciently small to depend within the casing.

This device is assembled by securing one end of the line to the fixedblock 8, and passing it around the various pulleys and then passing thefree end of the line through the opening 6. The weighted block 9 is thenlet down into the casing 1 until cover 5 rests on the casing. The pulleycarrier 8 is then secured to the casing by insertion of the pin or .bolt10. lVhen the casing 1 is placed in the vertical position, the weight oflower block 9 will tend to keep the line within the casing. The casingis then secured wherever one may wish as adjacent a window or door. Asma be readily seen various lengths of the line may be accommodated bythe lengthening of the casing by the addition of the sections 2. Ifdesired the device may be originally designed to provide for more lineby including a larger number of pulleys 11.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

A cable apparatus comprising a casing of detachable extension sectionsenabling variation in the length of the casing, a removable top for thecasing, and cable take-up means within the casing supported from saidtop.

In testimony whereof I afilx my signature.

ALBERT H. HElviIPEL.

